There are two related issues in this matter. One that of Reynold Georges, is about evicting specifically 300 families from an area of Camp Acra & Adoquin with a view to evicting all 32,000 residents [6000 families] plus the fate of all remaining camps and this is where the focus needs to be. As Chanjem Leson write on their website, they have a plan for the housing of all camp Acra & Adoquin and a means for them to create their own income generation projects. The second issue is that of persecution of human rights lawyers and camp activists.

This is not a story of great revolutionary heroes nor is it a story about Haitian elections, political parties, NGOs, the UN or even cholera though no doubt many of the residents have suffered from the illness directly…

Peter Hallward, author of “Damming the Flood:Haiti, Aristide, and the Politics of Containment”. Reframes the narrative of Haiti as disaster and the problem as one of development. Rather he argues that the real issue is one of political sovereignty, popular…

Last Saturday, Haitian police burned and broke up Camp Acra 2, at Petion-Ville. The destruction of the camp and forced removal of people is part of the people cleansing which has included removal and destruction of the mostly women market vendors in Frere, Petion-Ville and Delmas 33. Camp Acra has been home to 15,000 people since the 2010 earthquake. It seems to me that the government is purposely targeting camps and markets which are in those areas designated for ‘urban renewal’ and gentrification. The story that the numbers of people in camps has been reduced to about 250,000 is completely false as I explained in this previous post.

In writing I am mindful of finding a balance between reality and romantic notions of revolution whether held by foreigners or Haitians for that matter. I am also aware of the difficulty in writing these pieces even where I…

Rea kept trying to get through on the phone but the lines were also dead. They had no idea if the other children who left earlier on the tap tap buses had arrived safely or even if their own house was standing. They walked fast at times running the 10 kilometers through the horror and panic of the streets. They did not stop. Pennier is a long walk from Petion Ville on a good day and this was a day of terror that would stretch out into months ahead.

In remembering and honouring all those who died on January 12th 2010 I would also like to honour those who have survived the awfulness of this past 12 months. Quite rightly blogs and some media are full of stories…

I recently finished my second reading of “Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work” [Excellent Review here] I consider Danticat to be a courageous writer. She is not afraid to expose her vulnerability, her self-doubt, her longing to be included…

Haitians are now dying of dirty water and insanitary conditions which they have been forced to endure for the past 10 months. Over 250,000 Haitians have already died as a result of the earthquake and now thousands more are going…

Fundraising appeal for SOPUDEP (Society of Providence United for the Economic Development of Petion-Ville) in Port-au-Prince. The school was started in 2002 by community activist Rea Dol to provide education for children from the poorest families – those who could…

Rea Dol is the Director and co-founder of Society of Providence United for the Economic Development of Petion-Ville (SOPUDEP), a grassroots organization in Haiti offering education for children and adults and a micro-credit program for women. Her work in the…

Beverley Bell explains that in “ceding it’s independence”, the Haitian government and the US led [re]construction has allowed the Haitian earthquake to be used to consolidate the foreign occupation of Haiti which is led by the “Interim Commission for the…

This afternoon I got soaked in a torrential down pour in South Florida. First thing I thought about was all the people living outside or in tents in Haiti. After I got myself nicely showered and dry I sat down…

Kali Akuno critiques the notion of ‘humanitarian interventionism” which he describes as an ideological and strategic tool of neoliberalism….. a tool developed through the auspices of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), under the guiding hand of the US government, to…

Haitian community activist Rea Dol talks about SOPUDEP the school she started in 2000, the struggles to keep it going and surviving the earthquake… without the help of the “Republic of NGO’s”. This is what happened to Rea and thousands…

On International Women of Colour Day I celebrate all the women of colour who consistently work towards social justice across the world. In particular I would like to honour the work of Haitian community activist and founder of SOPUDEP School,…

Human Rights lawyer, Walter Riley speaks of about his experience of the earthquake and Haitian activist Pierre Labossiere explains that the emergency relief system put in place by President Aristide was destroyed after the 2004 US/France back coup and the…